President of Iceland visits IRENA headquarters in Abu Dhabi

The President of Iceland, HE Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson met with Interim Director General ag. of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Mr. Adnan Amin, on the sidelines of the President’s visit to Abu Dhabi on Monday.

Mr. Amin gave the President a tour of the IRENA Interim Headquarters and introduced him to the Agency’s staff. “It is a great honor to receive such an esteemed head of state to IRENA,” said Mr. Amin. “This is an indication of the level of support this Agency enjoys, and it is a clear signal that there are high hopes and aspirations for IRENA and its mandate.”

“Importantly,” added Mr. Amin, “Iceland is an inspiring example of the successful use of renewable energy sources – Iceland uses renewable energy for 100 percent of electricity production, while about 81 per cent of the country’s total primary energy supply is derived from domestically produced renewable energy sources”. Geothermal energy provides roughly over 66 per cent of Iceland’s primary energy, while Hydro Power accounts for 15 per cent.

“In Iceland, we don’t have to go to international conferences to be convinced of the reality of climate change. Tackling this issue will lead to revolutionize the whole energy system in the world”, insisted President Grímsson. “The shift towards renewable energy is already under way: In Iceland we can see that there is already a race for long term access to clean energy”.

“I have always been a strong supporter of IRENA. The Agency’s role in connecting potential partners –policy makers, engineers, financial partners …- around new projects is invaluable” added the president.

President Grímsson and Mr. Amin also discussed future cooperation, and possible avenues of fostering a close and mutually beneficial relationship between Iceland and IRENA. “I am looking forward to building on this visit and exploring potential collaborations with Iceland,” stated Mr. Amin.